Call light systems...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am going to a meeting today regarding call light systems. Our hospital is getting ready to build a new facility and I have been invited to a meeting to look over new call light systems for our new facility. Any suggestions? The call light system we have now probably evolved around the time of WW1. Just your standard push the button, light comes on, nurse or CNA goes to room, turns light off, and tends to pt's needs/wishes.....

Surely in this day and age there is something more advanced....any ideas would be welcomed. Thanks....

cindyln

187 Posts

We use a system by HillRom. YOu can talk to the patient over the handset.Saves lots of trips to the room when it was pushed accidently

emily_mom

1,024 Posts

We can also do what Cindy's does, but ours is awesome. We wear these little pager thingies (size of deck of cards...super light) and when you go in the room it shuts off the light. Outside the door is a red triangle (staff emergency), A and B (to denote which bed hit it), and N (lights up when we are in the room). It also has a pager system so that if you're in the room and looking for someone...you can page them and talk to them. It also tells you where everyone is...on the wall in the room and at the desk. So, if someone needs you, they just page the machine in the room and they can talk to you.

Super cool (as far as call lights can be....:D)

Kristy

cindyln

187 Posts

Kristy that is the same that we use. SOme people refuse to wear the badge. They hate they can be tracked.

Ortho_RN

1,037 Posts

We also use a similar system and I like it... We wear badges, PCA's and RN's/LPN's have different badges, so when the PCA goes in the room there is an Orange light that comes on, and a Green one when the nurse comes in.. When they hit the call light a white one turns on.... They also have an emergency button, that when you press it, it pages everyone on the floor... Oh yeah, we also wear papers that are programmed with whatever rooms we have, so when a call light goes off so does the pager.. I really like it..

The tracking thing comes in handy.. And it only works on the floor you are on...

RN-PA, RN

626 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.

I worked for a couple of months on our hospital's newly designed acute care unit and they have a new callbell system-- not at all as advanced as the systems described by emily_mom and nurs2b. It does have an intercom feature, but some nurses got into a lot of trouble when they were griping about our nurse manager and somehow a button was pressed and all the patients overheard their conversation. :eek: :imbar It also has THE most annoying sound I've ever heard a call bell make. It's a loud buzz/beep combo that had me trying to muffle it one night by covering the console with bath blankets. :( Maybe it's designed that way to get us to answer the lights more quickly to make the infernal noise STOP! Sorry I don't know the name of it or I'd advise you to not buy it.

montroyal

89 Posts

Originally posted by nurs2b

We also use a similar system and I like it... We wear badges, PCA's and RN's/LPN's have different badges, so when the PCA goes in the room there is an Orange light that comes on, and a Green one when the nurse comes in.. When they hit the call light a white one turns on.... They also have an emergency button, that when you press it, it pages everyone on the floor... Oh yeah, we also wear papers that are programmed with whatever rooms we have, so when a call light goes off so does the pager.. I really like it..

The tracking thing comes in handy.. And it only works on the floor you are on...

Does the DON wear one? It sounds like big brother.

justjill

47 Posts

Specializes in Medical/Surgical, PACU, ICU, and Psych.

i really like our call light system....every nurse and aide has a small cell phone, and when the light goes off the aide's phone rings. if the phone rings more than four times without being answered, the call goes directly to that patients nurse. Once you answer the phone, the patient can tell you exactly what they need and the light goes off.

these phones are great because you can also call anyone else on the unit or in other parts of the hospital. it saves a lot of needless time wasted trying to hunt a nurse or CNA down.

emily_mom

1,024 Posts

We don't have a choice but to wear it (you are written up if you don't). But, working in a large hospital it's nice b/c we've had quite a few incidents where the emergency button is needed. Plus, it saves miles on the feet of those trying to find you or vice versa.

Kristy

deespoohbear

992 Posts

The meeting was very interesting. The call light system we looked at was a Zettler (the parent company's name I can't remember). You have several options to choose from the basic package...to the "tracking" system....At first I was a little leery of the tracking system, but I can see where it would really help out the unit secretary in finding us. The DON wasn't so sure about the pagers...(almightly dollar) but I could see where it could really cut down on the overhead pages, which would be a definite plus for our patients....so we will see what happens....

Have an unit meeting next week to discuss the bedside charting thing....I am definitely going to that one!!!!

bossynurse

43 Posts

Originally posted by nurs2b

We also use a similar system and I like it... We wear badges, PCA's and RN's/LPN's have different badges, so when the PCA goes in the room there is an Orange light that comes on, and a Green one when the nurse comes in.. When they hit the call light a white one turns on.... They also have an emergency button, that when you press it, it pages everyone on the floor... Oh yeah, we also wear papers that are programmed with whatever rooms we have, so when a call light goes off so does the pager.. I really like it..

The tracking thing comes in handy.. And it only works on the floor you are on...

bossynurse

43 Posts

woops i goofed. our sysem is the same as nur2b.. It's great. the operator answers the call light and determines if its a nurse need or a tech need. We get a printed message on the pager...room 4402 needs pain med. I can just go straight to med room and not have to ask the pt what they need. The whole floor gets a page for blue alerts and bathroom emergencies.

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